I stood there against the glass, pressing back against the zombie lady with as much force as I could muster, her skin was loose and coming away from the bone, it seemed impossible, the black bile and her inky blood making the fur on my paws wet, it was like they were being dipped in treacle, the substance thick and sticky.
She lunged again as the pressure on my back ceased, a shattering noise filled the air as I fell onto a table in the store, its wooden top jarring into my back with a sudden thud
The zombie crashed to one side of the table and I another, my paws scrambled to get myself upright, the zombie was intent on getting to me via the most direct route, instead of walking around the table she clawed her way through the heavy oak legs, twisting and winding her way through the gaps, this was my chance.
I looked forward away from the high street deeper into the store, a door leading to the staff room I hoped, or perhaps the kitchen, I darted between the tables weaving a path between them, the store only small with probably 20 tables at most, a counter over to the right with the coffee machines, tomorrow's croissants and bread rolls stacked neatly in the display.
I glanced over my shoulder as I heard more glass shattering behind me, more zombies were now interested in the store, climbing through the broken window, their eyes fixated on me as I ran through the tables, their movements odd as they followed, not looking where they were going at all, their heads solely focused on their prey, their bodies crashing over the tables and anything else in their way causing them to stumble and lose ground.
'Please don't be locked' my heart raced as I pressed towards the two doors I could see, one had a picture of a stick man and women engraved on the door, most likely the toilets, the other a large sign saying 'Staff'.
my elbow bashed the door open, the stainless steel counter on the other side shuddering as it stopped the door in mid swing, I pushed through frantically looking for some kind of lock but there was none.
I looked over at the counter and almost without thinking I dragged it in front of the door, the legs squealing as it scraped along the floor, I had to use all my might to do so before eying up a large stainless steel fridge, I noticed the wheels on the bottom and immediately pushed it towards the door, it wobbled precariously as it moved across the tiles, pushing with all my strength it jolted as I neared the door, the cable was hardwired into the wall pulling at the fridge, meanwhile its momentum kept it moving forward causing it to collapse in a heap against the steel counter.
The kitchen echoed like I'd dropped a thousand knives and forks into a metal sink, I stepped backwards away from the door, the air filled with the sound of sirens in the background and the ringing out of sporadic gunfire, my paws shook, in fact my whole body trembled as my eyes fixated on the door, the only thing between me and... them...
The door went with a thud, the counter shaking as it held shut, the heavy fridge acting as a wedge against it, 'I can't leave it like that' I thought, dragging more counters over, pushing them against the array of objects now blocking the door, several thuds continued as more zombies tried to get in, each thud making me jolt my head around the room.
I didn't have a plan, I was making this up as I went along, it wasn't what I was good at, even when my life depended upon it.
There was a fire escape looking door near the back which I pawed towards softly, opening it gently I could see the back alley, but I soon slammed it back shut as I saw more zombies running through the alley, one of their heads snapping towards the open door just as I closed it, now an angry zombie banged up against my only escape route.
'fuck' I cursed to myself slumping into a heap on the floor, the bangs alternating between the kitchen door and the fire escape.
I looked out onto the white tiled floor of the kitchen and was alarmed to see blood smeared around in paw steps, I lifted my feet up and noticed my pad on my right foot was cut pretty deep, probably from the broken glass
Pulling a tea towel from one of the counters I wrapped it around my foot tying it up the best I could to apply some pressure.
Only now the pain in my foot coming into realisation as I tried to get back on my feet and survey this prison I was now in, the kitchen had a few other fridges and some cooking surfaces, there was an open archway which led to an office, something I had missed before.
I hobbled over the tiled surface towards the office, the cold tiles were replaced by warm carpet, a desk sat in the corner along with a filing cabinet and office chair, sat on the desk was a computer with a picture of a child in a frame, the name 'Maddie' engraved over the top, I sat in the office chair my head in my paws, 'what the fuck do I do' I questioned myself
I opened the laptop on the desk, the screen lighting up the room, the familiar windows login screen asking for a password, there was no way I was going to guess this, I hit enter just in case it was blank, but got the "password incorrect" prompt
Looking again at the picture of the young girl staring at me I tired differing versions of Maddie, sometimes followed by the year I thought she was born, or the year and month, it wasn't long before my incorrect attempts now locked me out of the laptop.
Sighing I shut the lid again making the room dark once more, the banging on the doors faded away after a few minutes, the sirens and sounds outside must have been more interesting to the zombies, or maybe they were just waiting on the other side I wasn't too sure.
I sniffed the air, I could smell them, it was like the smell of rotting meat, they were just behind the barricade I had made, my instincts told me they were waiting, they were listening for me just as I were listening for them.
How the fuck had this happened, zombies... I mean it happened so quick, was it just here?, my mind jolted a thousand thoughts at once.
'the army will sort it'
I felt a little better at that thought, the sound of gunfire still raining outside, this will all just blow over right? I've just got to wait it out.
I thought back to Tim wondering if he was still in the crowd, I had no way of contacting him, i had lost my phone, and while I sat idly looking at the phone on the desk, I didn't know anyone's phone number, it took me years to memorise my own!
I picked up the receiver and dialled 112, it was engaged... the police engaged, my heart wrenched at the fact help might not be coming tonight, but after seeing those others die in the street, I was lucky.
I padded my way back into the kitchen, my foot throbbed and felt hot, but the towel remained white, at least it had stopped the bleeding, the sirens continued to wail outside, the gunshots now more intense than they had been moments before, and the screams, not from people but from those... things, those zombies, I could hear them running past and calling out
There wasn't a single window in the kitchen, the outside world was isolated, with only the noise of chaos coming from outside I wasn't sure what I could do, this wasn't the best place to be though, the kitchen door propped closed with some loose but heavy objects, and the whole front of the shop completely exposed.
I decided I wasn't going to stay here, anywhere would be better than here, preferable behind a locked door, I could only put weight on part of my foot, limping towards the fire escape I peered out for a second time hoping the alley was now clear, but all I could see were more of the zombies, some human, some furs.
The ones with fur ran quicker than the others, more aware of their surroundings, sniffing the air while the humans seemed to follow them around, a wolf peered over towards me, his fangs snarling as he howled out a deathly noise, part howl part scream.
The noise made the other zombies turn towards me, a swarm of roughly twenty now heading towards to the door, I slammed it shut. "you fucking idiot" I muttered to myself backing away from the door.
Only seconds later the thuds came as the metal door dented slightly inwards, each bang slightly distorting the door making it more and more convex, I wasn't sure how long it could hold for but I certainly wasn't going to go back into the shop area.
I hobbled towards the kitchen door again, it really was my only exit, but just as I did I could hear zombies on the other side, tables being pushed around and snarls as they paced up and down, occasionally the kitchen door would shudder as one of them tried their luck.
This time it seemed the zombies were not getting bored of me, intent on getting to their prey locked up in this single room like a meal inside a can.
I looked toward the office, but without a door that wasn't going to be a safe place either, now I was starting to panic, the feeling like wanting to give up and cry was real, I swallowed it down, grabbing a kitchen knife in my paw ready to fight.
"this is fucking stupid" I shook my head throwing the knife down, it wasn't me, I wasn't tough and I certainly wasn't brave, I clambered up onto the cabinets and pushed up one of the white tiles on the roof, I could just about poke my head up through the false ceiling exposing an array of ventilation ducts and wiring, and perhaps I could fit too...
I frantically clawed my way up the wall, pulling myself up onto a metal tray work as the ceiling that held the tiles bent with my weight, I only weighted 65kg but the ceiling wasn't designed for any of that, the metal channels where the tiles sat now creasing as I forced my way above them onto the top of an air duct.
The air duct hung from metal rods and swayed with every movement I made, it seemed more secure than the ceiling panels, but still its movements made me nervous.
The banging on both doors intensified as tiles fell onto the metal worktops, the loud ring of the bangs sent the zombies into a fury until finally the worktops in front of the kitchen door budged far enough for a zombie to poke its head through, it was the lady from before, the dress just visible as her arms clawed at the wall pulling herself further into the room.
I tucked myself neatly onto the air duct, trying to get out of sight just as she broke in, but now she was accompanied by 5 others scattering into the room, clattering into the other worktops, the banging on the fire escape interesting the zombies as they clattered against the door from the inside, the only action this did was push the bar open allowing it to swing open and let more zombies in.
The zombies from outside now piled into the kitchen, the wolf id seen outside now staring up at me screaming as the group of them all looked up as he did so, each of them clawing the air above them unable to reach me.
I stifled a shriek, looking over at the counter I'd climbed up on, the zombies now clawing their way up, pulling at the ceiling tiles trying to follow my path up, there were too many of them pulling at the ceiling tiles, a mighty crash followed as the metal supports pulled out from the concrete above, bringing the entire false ceiling crashing down on top of them.
It didn't deter them in the slightest, it only momentarily stopped them, but now they were unable to reach the cable trays or the ducting they clawed the air and walls unrelenting, thankfully not making progress.
As light filled the once dark space above the tiles, some of the light fixtures swaying in mid-air, making the shadows dance around the room, but as they danced, I could see the ducts went through the wall, not the wall to the shop, but above a room next door.
The shrieks and growls from the zombies below made my hide crawl, and my fur stand on end, determined to be anywhere else than in this room right now I swallowed my fear.
I crawled along the duct gently, feeling the metalwork strain and groan, it swung gently with each of my movements, I headed towards the darkness at the side of the room, to where the ducting ran through the wall, peering in I could see another void, another false ceiling to the shop or building next door, and a hole just about big enough that I could fit through, possibly where an older duct once went through, all I knew was it was my way out!
The screams echoed off the walls in the kitchen below, made worse by the clattering of the metal counters, I continued to crawl forward and push myself through the hole, it was about the only time I was thankful for being on the smaller side for a fur, enabling me to fit through the gap with relative ease and onto the duct on the other side.
Here the screams were muffled a little more, but the darkness inside the new void made it impossible to see, I pressed my paw onto one of the ceiling tiles below and it fell away with a clatter, I could make out a hallway below, which seemed to be the same length as the void above it, with little other option I decided to peer down into the hall.
Poking my head from the tiles I could see a set of stairs to one end and an old ornate wooden door to the other, a door mat sat below it with a collection of unopened mail, but other than that the hallway appeared empty.
I lowered myself down as gently as a could, but the lightweight frame of the false ceiling was unable to hold my weight this time and came down with me into a heap on the floor, the screams from the zombies next door drowned any cry I made myself in pain as my knee cracked against the wooden floor beneath me.
My knee stung and my paw felt wet again as if I had disturbed the tea towel I had wrapped around it, but this was no time to be lying down.
I scrambled to my paws quickly and peered out the peep hole in the old wooden door, before me through a fisheye lens was the high street I stood on earlier where I'd lost Tim, Zombies ran past, a flicker of distorted entities but I could make them out all the same.
Across the street lay bodies where zombies openly ate their victims on the ground, and when my brain understood what it saw I felt sick at the back of my throat, gagging I looked away but I was unable to stop myself vomiting on the doormat.
The acrid smell made me recoil and back up towards the stairs, the carpet was soft under my paws as I climbed them slowly, the stairs winding around to the right to another door at the top, I pressed it open slowly with my right paw, the hinges squeaking gently as the stale smell hit me, whatever this place was it hadn't been visited in a while.
Behind the door was another hallway, but this was more homely than the hallway downstairs, this was one of those apartments that sat above the shops in the high street, I never understood how anyone who could live in these apartments amid the noise of the bars each night,
The apartment lay in darkness, and it appeared no one was home, "hello" I said quietly but there was no answer, the only noise I could hear was the vague muffled zombies from downstairs, and the constant sirens and gunfire from outside.
I didn't know what I would do if I found someone in here, but part of me wanted someone to be here, I didn't want to be alone in this, there had to be others, and my heart sank when no-one answered.
As I made my way through the hallway, a kitchen was to the right, followed by a small bathroom on the left, the hallway then opened out into a huge lounge with windows overlooking the high street, on one side was a large oak dining table, and the other sat two large sofas with a TV in the corner, just behind them was a small spiral staircase leading to a mezzanine where there was a balcony and bedroom.
The apartment was full of detail and features from an old building, the ceiling was so high and decorated in ornate plasterwork, the window made from hardwood, and the wall facing the High street an exposed limestone, this was certainly a nice apartment, and would have been a fortune to buy, regardless of its proximity to all the noise.
Perhaps it was one of the bar managers homes, or someone who worked during most of the noise, either way it was larger than my tiny studio, it felt awkward to be in someone's home uninvited, like some kind of burglar, not that I was going to steel anything, but it wasn't like I had another option.
I looked out through the windows overlooking the high street, it was the same scene I had seen through the spy glass downstairs, only in more graphic detail without the distortion, I quickly drew the curtains and looked away before my stomach had the chance to throw up again.
Looking around the apartment I found a phone which I promptly dialled the police only to again be met with the engaged tone.
The muffled screams from downstairs were getting to me, I decided to go back to the flats front door, thankfully it had its own lock which you could lock from the inside, perhaps the owner felt the downstairs door was enough, but with the zombies only a false ceiling away I felt better sliding the bolt across, along with moving a chest of drawers from the living room to hold it closed.
Even then I wasn't sure it could hold them, so I decided to close all the doors in the apartment, and put as many doors between myself and the zombies as possible, this meant hiding in the living room, but I soon found myself up on the mezzanine in the bedroom before too long, away from any doors, and as far from the windows as possible.
Even so I could hear them scream still... the gunshots, from all different directions, I sat on the bed curling my knees up to my chest, I covered my ears with my paws and found myself crying, I tried to breath slowly and calm myself down but the only thoughts racing through my head was 'they're dead, everyone's dead'
I was soon snapped out of my daze as the building started to vibrate, the banister on the mezzanine shook and the glasses on the table downstairs rattled in unison, then came the loudest boom I had ever heard before in my life, it was shortly followed by a second and third, each equally as loud leaving a ringing sound in my ears.
In the bedroom was a small window looking out towards a balcony set in the roof of the building, while not particularly tall and most of the skyline was obscured by the other buildings, the sky glowed orange, there was no mistaking what the loud noise and vibrations were.
They were bombs, or missiles, each once seemingly larger than the last, I scrambled back to the 1st floor and found myself under the dining table before too long, dust from the plasterwork dropping onto the top of it with each shake of the building, I sat there wondering what the bombs would hit next, they were trying to kill the zombies, I was sure of it, but it just sounded like I was in the middle of some crazy war film
Explosions echoed in the night sky along with the rain of gunfire, I wasn't sure what would be worse, getting buried alive in this building or the zombies getting in and eating me, I closed my eyes, curling into a ball, I didn't believe in god, but tonight I I whispered out to anyone that would listen 'please... I don't want to die'